Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(21/02/2018 19:42)clarkethomas94 Wrote:  No the reason the SP's don't work at the minute is because the timings are too tight. You simply can not go from the port to mold via cheshire oaks and deeside industrial estate in an hour. If you look at the timetable at the minute it gives it 5 minutes to get to the oaks from the port (X8,1 and X2 get 8), 28 minutes from the port to asda queensferry. You only have to lose time at cheshire oaks and the A5117 during rush hour and even during the day up towards costco still gets quite busy. Then theres the industrial park. There's not enough time to get round there. I suggest you go on an SP and do the full round trip then report back how long it took you and then we'll see if your theory stands up. Have a look at the timetable for the timing points. 10 minutes to get from industrial estate to cheshire oaks? You struggle doing that in a car let alone a knackered old dart.

The driver I had seemed to be alright. I jumped on it when it first started and did a full day on then about 3-4 times I have got the 07:23ish from Mold and the driver was always on-time in and out. And always got me to Buckley on-time. Stagecoach have had the route for a long time so it can't be that bad or they would have thrown in extra time a long time before now. Some times are ambitious to say the least but some give a tiny bit too much time.

Looking at the timetable and comparing it to what you say, it is only the SP1 affected. And that has a running time of 52 minutes. Increase that to 56 and then throw the extra few minutes in. It isn't a lot but it is better. All of the running times per trip are different so I am not too sure what is most correct. Even if you extended the SPs to 1 hour end to end.

10:00 leave Mold
11:00 Arr Ellesmere Port
11:05 Stanney 6
11:35 Stanney 6
11:55 leave EPort
12:55 arr Mold

This works and keeps half hourly on the 6, lots of extra time for the SPs (10-5 minutes) and incorporates the Stanney 6. It is a little tight in Ellesmere Port giving 2 minutes between the Stanney 6 and SP but it should work with the it having lots of time overall.

Not saying they have to take on my example but I am making the point it is possible to run the SPs at regular intervals and it doesn't need stupid gaps.